Abstract: These experiments investigate whether the facilitative effect of naming on the
acquisition of conditional discriminations in young children is due to enhancing
discrimination of the sample and comparison stimuli or whether naming serves additional
functions. Seventeen typically developing children, ages 4 to 6, were presented with a
three-choice arbitrary MTS AB conditional discrimination on Macintosh computers. The
participants were randomly selected to be in one of two sequences of conditions. The
conditions utilized in Experiment 1 were Tacting Condition 1 (naming sample stimuli);
Tacting Condition 2 (naming sample and comparison stimuli); Tally Sheet Condition 1
(marking sample stimuli); and Tally Sheet Condition 2 (marking sample and comparison
stimuli). The conditions utilized in Experiment 2 were Tacting Condition 1; Tacting
Condition 2; Cards Condition 1 (pointing to sample stimuli); and Cards Condition 2
(pointing to sample and comparison stimuli). Five participants acquired the AB
conditional discrimination; two did so without exposure to naming and without evidence
of common naming, and three did so with the addition of common naming. One
participant demonstrated evidence of common naming but did not acquire the AB
conditional discrimination. These results demonstrate that although naming can facilitate
acquisition, it is neither necessary nor sufficient.